Sacrifices
by faelyn leaf
Summary: And you. I simply cannot fathom how you became a paladin at all, or how your god puts up with you. The only thing truly shocking is that Torm has yet to smite your hide... A LiamImoen love story
1. Sacrifices: Innocence Preserved

Sacrifices: Innocence Preserved  
  
_When you are with me I'm free  
I'm careless, I believe  
Above all the others, we'll fly  
This brings tears to my eyes  
My Sacrifice  
  
Excerpt from Creed, "My Sacrifice"_  
  
It was in the bedroom of their captor that she had collapsed. She had dropped to the ground, and buried her face in her hands.  
  
Forgetting the Goodberries that he was supposed to eat, Liam knelt down and wrapped his calloused hands around Imoen's waist. It was meant to be a supportive gesture, but she shrank underneath the embrace. He let go, yet the burning heat her body left on his chest and bare arms was still present. Without thinking, Liam rubbed his tanned shoulders. A desperate attempt to spread the warmth to his aching muscles.  
  
"Imoen..." he lifted the crimson strands of filthy hair that had fallen into her eyes and pushed them behind her delicate ears.  
  
She looked up, and Liam could see traces of shadow lingering beneath her clear blue eyes, "I'm fine," she smiled, "just tired, that's all."  
  
He squeezed her shoulder, not completely believing her. "Alright, then. Here, eat these. You need to keep up your strength." he handed her the berries. "Now, let's get out of this hellhole, shall we?" he took on a mock formal tone, "After you, milady."   
  
Imoen laughed as she always did when Liam played paladin.   
  
"You know, just 'cause you're a paladin doesn't mean you have to sound like one."  
  
Encouraged, Liam got more into his role. He widened his dark jade coloured eyes and failed his arms about in dramatic gestures, "I am **truly** shocked, my good lady. Shocked and appalled. To not sound like a paladin would be to shirk my duties! And that, lady, can simply **not** happen! Why, I would be ostracized from all my paladin love... I mean, **friends**! With whom would I brotherly share my forty litre barrel of Extra Sheen Armour Polish? To even **think** of shirking, I would be bring shame to paladins everywhere!"  
  
Imoen's bright smile and glittering eyes was reward enough for his performance. "Since when did paladins start thinking?"  
  
"Ah. Well, milady Imoen, since we paladins do not think, it seems that I no longer have to apologise for carrying out my latest act of indecent indiscretion towards you then... "  
  
"And what's that?" her eyes sparkled mischievously.  
  
"This..." he leaned closer and kissed her, pressing his lips to her own velvet ones.  
  
"**Children**!" Jaheira's shrill voice made them instantly break apart from one another.  
  
They sat side by side, all the while looking like two small infants about to receive chastising from an angered parent. They made eye contact, which caused both of them to start grinning.   
  
"Could you please concentrate on something other than yourselves for one moment? And by Silvanus, **stop** that smiling!" the druid eyed them, "We need to find Khalid a way out." She paused, directing her icy glare at Liam, "And you. I simply **cannot** fathom how you became a paladin at all, or how your god puts up with you. The only thing truly shocking is that Torm has yet to smite your hide. Now, why do you not put all of your wondrous theatrical abilities to work and **act** as if trying to find a way out?"  
  
The druid stalked off, leaving a smirking Liam and Imoen. Even Minsc was chuckling.  
  
"Imoen," Liam pulled his lover closer to him while gazing into her eyes, "I love you."  
  
"I love you too."  
  
They kissed again before rushing to catch up to a very infuriated Jaheira.


	2. Sacrifices: Innocence Shattered

Sacrifices: Innocence Shattered  
  
_Hello my friend, we meet again  
It's been awhile, where should we begin?  
Feels like forever  
Within my heart are memories  
Of a perfect love that you gave to me  
Oh, I remember  
  
Excerpt from Creed, "My Sacrifice"_  
  
_Imoen. After everything that's happened, the one person I love more than anything has deserted me. Not that I can condemn her for it.  
  
'You didn't know that Imoen was your sister?' Irenicus's cold laughter had filled the laboratory, 'Ah, but you did expect something sweeter perhaps? The return of a lover instead of a sister?'_  
  
Liam glanced to where his beautiful lover, no sister, lay sleeping. He quickly turned away, but the image of her once blissful smile and laughing sapphire eyes lingered in his mind. _Damn you, Jaheira. You and Khalid both knew. So did the rest of the Harpers._  
  
_'And you had relations with Imoen...'_ Liam had killed Dermin for that. He had not understood the venom in the words then, but it made sense now. Everything was callously clear. Jaheira and Khalid's whispered arguments, the way the two Harper's had taken the news of the relationship, the way they had reacted the first and every night the couple spent together...  
  
Liam sank to the ground, his Shadow Dragon Armour made a soft, hissing sound as he hit the cold stone floor. After... losing Imoen he had raised the astounding sum of gold demanded by the Shadowmaster. In doing so, he had denounced the Order of the Radiant Heart. Those fools had dictated to him that he was not to obtain help from the thieves. They had told him to forget Imoen.  
  
Instead, the angry paladin had dismissed both Keldorn and Anomen from his service. Or rather, he had tried. Liam smirked, the two stubborn knights had stayed by his side, only wincing at the services Linvail had required.  
  
They were no longer knights now. After hearing of the their continued assistance to the rogue paladin, the Order had stripped them of knighthood behind their backs. They had not even confronted the pair about the matter. Neither was particularly upset with the loss anymore, not after that display of the Order's cowardice.  
  
The trio were not considered fugitives, although it had been... 'suggested' that they were not to go near the Heart's guild. Liam gave his god a silent prayer of thanks. Torm had not dismissed Keldorn, nor had Helm relinquished Anomen from his priesthood. The gods knew that rescuing Imoen was more important than keeping the Order's image in pristine condition. That the life of an innocent woman took prevalence over politics.  
  
But now he was inside Spellhold, recovering from the loss of his soul and lover. Liam sighed and picked up Carsomyr from where he had dropped it beside him. With the small light the fire made, Liam was able to see Imoen's reflection in the Torm-blessed blade. He needed to scream, to shout... to kill before he went mad.  
  
_Damn you, Jaheira. You must have known, Gorion must have told you. You knew all this time, and said nothing._ A few strangled cries reached his throat. This was not supposed to happen. It was going to be just the two of them, the paladin and mage, travelling to wherever the wind took them.  
  
Liam heard footsteps approach him and instinctively grasped the hilt of Carsomyr. It was Jaheira. The paladin gripped the sword tighter.  
  
The druid sat down beside him. "Liam..."  
  
"Don't, Jaheira."  
  
"And what would you have me say; that I am sorry? You must know that I am not. Gorion entrusted us... entrusted me with the knowledge. I swore that I would never tell..."  
  
"Oh, of course. Yes, I forgot. And, more obviously, you couldn't have said, 'children, this is a bad idea,' then promptly follow it up with some ridiculous nature metaphor. I suppose that would entail breaking your little oath as well."  
  
"Liam, hush. We must not wake the others. Imoen needs her rest."  
  
The paladin's eyes grew dark with fury, but he complied.  
  
"You would never have listened to me. Do not fool yourself into believing otherwise." Jaheira continued. "Tell me, what have you lost?"  
  
"Besides my lover, my best friend, _my sister_? Nothing. Nothing at all."  
  
"Tell me, Liam, does your god still answer your prayers, does Torm not still bestow his blessings upon you?"  
  
Liam threw up his hands in despair. Torm's presence had never faltered throughout his travels, and Jaheira knew it well.  
  
The druid lay a tentative hand on the paladin's encased shoulder. Both knew that there would be no absolution or resolution.  
  
As she got up to leave, Jaheira whispered, "Give her time. Not only does she have her mistreatment to contend with, but the added shock of her heritage has done nothing to help her. She needs to heal. I doubt that even Torm knows what is in your future, but Imoen will always be there. Of that, I am certain."  
  
Liam waited for the older woman to depart, before shedding a single tear. _I am sorry, Imoen, for everything I have done. But I will make Irenicus pay for his part._


	3. Sacrifices: Innocence Regained

Sacrifices: Innocence Regained  
  
_We've seen our share of ups and downs  
Oh how quickly life can turn around  
In an instant  
It feels so good to reunite  
What's in yourself and within your mind  
Let's find peace there  
  
Excerpt from Creed, "My Sacrifice"_  
  
The entrance to Suldanesselar may have been hidden from outsiders, but not from the creatures of the forest. Liam took in a deep breath of the sweet, fragrant air and listened to the shrill victory calls of yet another successful nocturnal hunter. The warm night of the elven city was calming. Here, situated in the canopy of a lush and vibrant forest, Liam could relax. He was able to feel insignificant among the giant coniferous and deciduous trees that shrouded the sacred city. The rogue paladin leaned on the marble railing and looked for the ground. His dizzied senses couldn't detect it.  
  
He heard the unmistakable sound of small, light footsteps coming towards him and Liam turned around. The sight that befell him took his breath away; Imoen had never looked so beautiful. She had put aside her usual black leathers, and donned on a simple cut dress. It was made of a glistening sapphire silk, dyed to match her eye colour. It accentuated the sway of her hips and the curves of her body. Her shoulder length flame red hair was simply left in a braid, but a few strands had managed to escape.  
  
She must have noticed his gaze, for she flushed before deciding to plop herself on the marble ground. Liam smiled at the gesture.  
  
"You've changed, Lee." she spoke the words in an order to break the uncomfortable silence that lingered between them.  
  
Liam nodded sadly at the use of the childhood name. The name Imoen used to call him when they were being raised together. "We both have, Im."  
  
"Everything is so different now... we're different."  
  
"No." Liam smiled bitterly, "We were always the same. We were always siblings." he looked towards the heavens, "Bhaal must be loving this right now."  
  
Imoen smirked, "Somehow, I don't think he's residing up there."  
  
"True."  
  
There was another awkward silence.  
  
"Liam, I meant what I said, I do love you, but now..."  
  
Liam's smile was despondent. Some things did not need to be said. "I know. I'm not sure what to do either."  
  
He sat down beside her, and could feel the lustrous material of her dress on his hands. She leaned closer and rested her head on his shoulder. He was cloaked in the intoxicating scent of vanilla, and her warmth flooded through his light tunic and down his trousers. "I love you, Imoen, I can't help the way I feel..."  
  
"Neither can I."  
  
She turned from him, and Liam instinctively knew that she was crying. He cupped her face in his hands and wiped away the tears away with his fingers. She huddled closer to him, and rested her head in his lap. He could hear her weeping and pulled her closer. Liam let his own tears fall into her hair.  
  
As her lamentation subsided, Liam brought his hands to ears and smoothed out the wisps of unruly hair that had fallen out of the braid. The closeness left Liam feeling bittersweet; he had Imoen in his arms but could do little else.  
  
Imoen broke the embrace and searched Liam's eyes, she inched her neck closer. Both of them found themselves in the middle of a kiss. Liam felt hesitant at first, but soon he found himself matching Imoen's desire. When they parted, they both knew what the other wanted.  
  
"Are you sure, Imoen?"  
  
She smiled, and for the first time since leaving Baldur's Gate, Liam felt at peace. Torm had never answered his prayers about Imoen, but Liam felt that this night his god had given him resolution. Slowly, the paladin rose and offered his arm to his lover.  
  
She took it willingly. "You know, we haven't been alone in a while. That is, if your paladin code could take such a lewd act..."  
  
Liam grinned in response, but there was something vexing him. "Imoen, how did you know where to find me?"  
  
"I know you." her eyes searching into his, "I know your mind, your soul and your body."  
  
Liam saw her blush and loved her all the more for it. There was just one more thing he needed to make sure of, for his security if not hers. "And the others; are you sure? What if they don't..."  
  
She rested her fingertips on his lips. "Then damn them."


End file.
